The ankle joint facilitates balance, stability, and the ability to bear the body's weight. It must perform these tasks while being exercised and manipulated over one million times a year. Ankle sprains are one of the most common orthopedic injuries, occurring equally in both sexes and across all age groups. These injuries are often reported by athletes; although ankle sprains are also common in those who suddenly trip on a step, slip without warning, or ignore feelings of fatigue during exercise.
Ankle sprains occur in several forms: the high ankle sprain, the medial ankle sprain, the low ankle sprain, and the lateral ankle sprain. The high ankle sprain injures the ligaments connecting the two bones of the lower leg (the tibia and fibula) at the ankle joint. The medial ankle sprain injures the inside ligaments, collectively referred to as the deltoid ligament. The low ankle sprain involves the ligaments supporting the subtalar joint below the tibiotalar joint or “true ankle joint”. The lateral sprain occurs when the foot rolls inwardly, damaging the lateral ligaments. The majority of ankle sprains occur at the lateral (outside) side of the true ankle joint.
The treatment for most ankle sprains includes rest, ice, compression and elevation, followed by rehabilitation and muscle strengthening. Since most practitioners believe that ligaments heal best with minimal stress, recovery plans typically protect the ankle with a brace and limit weight on the ankle while walking, which may require crutches.
In some cases, physical therapy may be needed to strengthen the ankle and restore the full range of joint movement. Recovery from an ankle sprain is considered complete when the ankle function is fully restored, and joint stability and strength have been regained. This suggests that recovery is not complete until routine activities, including sports, can be resumed without soreness, swelling or pain. The length of time for recovery from an ankle sprain depends on the severity of the injury.
During recovery, the ankle may be vulnerable to another sprain or even a more serious ankle injury. Stretching before activity, strengthening the muscles of the lower leg, and improving balance will help to reduce the risk of injury. Strong muscles will reduce the risk of injury.
Various exercises have been developed to strengthen and/or stretch the muscles of the leg, which can be integrated into a recovery plan, a post-recovery rehabilitation, or an injury prevention routine. A balance board is a popular device used to strengthen and stabilize the ankle. In addition, stretch bands or resistance bands can be used for a variety of different exercises for strengthening the muscles of the ankle joint.
Presently known therapeutic devices focus on groups of muscles and are not designed to focus on the particular muscle damaged by an ankle injury. Since healthy muscles can compensate for an injured ligament, ankle exercises typically strengthen the muscles surrounding the injured ligament, which can leave the joint at risk for a subsequent injury.
Current ankle exercise devices are limited to use in a particular location such as, a gym or a home. Consequently, such devices are typically used to strengthen the muscles for short periods of time, such as once a day or a couple times a week. If these devices were able to be integrated into daily activities, recovery times could be shortened and improvements in muscle strength and balance could be accelerated.
Systems and methods are thus needed which overcome these limitations. Various desirable features and characteristics will also become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background section.